U.S. patent number 4,793,836 [Application Number 07/177,422] was granted by the patent office on 1988-12-27 for remote control for an air filtration system.
Invention is credited to Steven C. Griffis.
United States Patent |
4,793,836 |
Griffis |
* December 27, 1988 |
Remote control for an air filtration system
Abstract
A remote control and monitor panel is operatively connected to
an air filtration unit located within an enclosed contaminated
space. The remote control and monitoring panel is located outside
of the enclosed contaminated space so that the air filtration unit
may be controlled and monitored without the necessity of entering
the enclosed contaminated space where the filtration unit is
located.
Inventors: |
Griffis; Steven C. (Council
Bluffs, IA) |
[*] Notice: |
The portion of the term of this patent
subsequent to November 10, 2004 has been disclaimed. |
Family
ID: |
22648538 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/177,422 |
Filed: |
April 4, 1988 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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072044 |
Jul 10, 1987 |
4750922 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
96/397; 96/419;
96/424; 55/385.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F
8/10 (20210101); B01D 46/42 (20130101); B01D
2279/51 (20130101); F24F 2221/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F24F
3/16 (20060101); B01D 046/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;55/210,213,217,272,274,97,385A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hart; Charles
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Zarley, McKee, Thomte, Voorhees
& Sease
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 072,044
filed July 10, 1987 U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,922 entitled "Remote
Control For An Air Filtration System."
Claims
I claim:
1. A system for removing dangerous solid materials from an enclosed
contaminated area within a building, said system comprising:
a wall means defining said enclosed contaminated area;
said enclosed contaminated area having at least one air inlet
associated therewith to permit air to enter said enclosed
contaminated area;
said wall means having at least one air outlet formed therein to
permit air to exit said enclosed contaminated area;
a first air filtration unit located within said enclosed
contaminated area;
said first air filtration unit having an air inlet in communication
with said enclosed contaminated area;
said first air filtration unit having an air outlet in operative
communication with the air outlet in said wall means;
said first air filtration unit including means for creating a
reduced air pressure within said enclosed contaminated area for
moving air through said filtration unit so that air will be drawn
into said air inlet of said enclosed, contamination area, through
said filtration unit, and thence through the air outlet in said
wall means;
means for sealing said air inlet in the event that the reduced air
pressure is lost in said enclosed contaminated area;
at least a second air filtration unit located within said enclosed
contaminated area and having an air inlet and an air outlet in
communication with said enclosed contaminated area,
and remote control and monitoring means for controlling the
operation of at least one of said first and second filtration units
and for monitoring the operation of at least one of said first or
second filtration units;
said remote control and monitoring means being located outside of
said enclosed contamination area whereby the said filtration unit
may be operated and monitored without entering said enclosed
contaminated area.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the early 1940's, asbestos was an inexpensive material which was
used in virtually every industrial plant across the nation because
of its superior capabilities of noise reduction, insulating and
fire retardant qualities. Asbestos was used in cement asbestos
pipe, plaster, wiring, pipe insulation, sound absorbing tiles,
floor tiles and sprayed on ceiling structural steel and deck
pans.
Asbestos has been found to be a health hazard and asbestos removal
or abatement programs are being conducted to remove these health
hazards. Many regulations have been adopted and are in place to
ensure the safety of those workers who are removing the asbestos as
well as to ensure that the asbestos being removed will not be
introduced into the surrounding atmosphere. For example, U.S. Pat.
No. 4,604,111 describes a fairly common system which is employed in
an asbestos removal project. In most projects, an enclosure is
created around the space in which the asbestos is to be removed.
The space is sealed by means of plastic sheets or the like. An air
inlet is provided for the enclosed space to permit air to be drawn
thereinto. A filtration unit such as the Model MT-3 of Micro-Trap,
Inc. of Maple Shade, N.J. or the Model ST2000 of Global Consumer
Services, Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif. is employed with each of the
units having an air inlet and an air outlet. The air outlet of the
filtration unit is placed in communication with the area outside of
the enclosed space. A blower means is provided in the filtration
unit so that the contaminated air in the enclosed space will be
drawn through the filtration unit with the asbestos fibers being
collected in the filtration unit. The filtration units are
sometimes referred to as negative air systems so that air is drawn
through the air inlet formed in the wall means and through the
filtration unit.
A worker must normally pass through a clean room, a shower room and
an equipment room before entering the contaminated area. When
leaving the contaminated area, the worker will remove his
contaminated clothing in the equipment room, enter the shower room,
shower, and enter the clean room to put on clean clothing.
The filtration units are normally continually operated even though
workers are not in the contaminated area. The filtration units
include operating controls for controlling the operation of the
filtration unit as well as monitors which monitor the operation of
the filtration unit.
If the filtration unit should shut off or malfunction during
non-working hours, a worker must enter the contaminated area
through the clean room, shower room and equipment room to re-start
the unit. The worker must then remove his clothing in the equipment
room, shower in the shower room, enter the clean room, dress and
exit. It is also necessary to periodically enter the contaminated
area to monitor the operation of the filtration unit to ascertain
that the filters are not clogged and that the unit is functioning
satisfactorily. Such monitoring also requires the entry and exit
procedure described hereinabove.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a
remote control and monitoring means for an air filtration unit
located within an enclosed contaminated area.
A further object of the invention is to provide a remote control
and monitoring means for controlling the operation of an air
filtration unit wherein the air filtration unit is located within a
contaminated area permitting the control and operation of the
filtration unit without the necessity of entering the contaminated
area.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the
art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a floor plan illustrating the use of the apparatus of
this invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a prior art air filtration
unit;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the remote control of this
invention; and
FIG. 4 is a floor plan illustrating a further use of the apparatus
of this invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The area in which the asbestos is to be removed is first enclosed
by either using the existing walls of the structure or by creating
temporary walls. The walls are sealed to prevent the asbestos
fibers from being discharged from the enclosed space. Outside are
is permitted to enter the enclosed space through an air inlet. A
filtration unit is positioned in the enclosed space and has an air
inlet adapted to draw air into the filtration unit. The filtration
unit has an air outlet which communicates with the space outside of
the enclosed space. A remote control and monitoring means is
operatively connected to the filtration unit and is located
outwardly of the contaminated area preferably in the clean room so
that the filtration unit may be controlled and monitored without
the necessity of entering the contaminated area.
In a modified form of the invention, one or more of the air
filtration units may have their exhausts operatively connected to
an exhaust passing outwardly through the enclosure with one or more
air filtration units simply being positioned within the enclosed
contaminated area with their exhausts being in communication with
the interior of the contaminated area. The remote control means may
also be utilized to control those air filtration units which do not
have their exhausts operatively connected to the exhaust opening in
the enclosed space.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIG. 1, the numeral 10 refers generally to an enclosed space
from which the asbestos is to be removed. Enclosed space 10 is
either defined by the walls of the building structure or by
temporary walls. In either case, the walls are referred to
generally by the reference numerals 12, 14, 16 and 18. The walls
would normally be sealed with a plastic sheeting material to
prevent the escape of fibers therefrom. In most projects, a clean
room 20 is provided having an entrance 22. Door 24 connects clean
room 20 with shower room 26. Door 28 connects shower room 26 with
equipment room 30. Door 32 connects equipment room 30 with the
enclosed space 10. Normally, doors 22, 24, 28 and 32 are comprised
of a flexible plastic sheet material to permit the material to be
pushed aside when passing therethrough.
The numeral 36 refers to a conventional filtration unit such as
that previously described except that the control and monitoring
panel has been removed therefrom and is remotely located as will be
described. A conventional filtration unit with the control and
monitoring panel thereon is illustrated in FIG. 2. Filtration unit
36 includes an air outlet 38 which communicates with an opening 40
in wall 18 so that air being discharged from the filtration unit 36
will be discharged outwardly of the space 10. Filtration unit 36
also includes an air inlet 42. The structure described to this
point is conventional. In the typical situation, the workmen could
be working in any area within the space 10 and the removal of the
asbestos in the space 10 could cause asbestos fibers to be
airborne. The system is intended to draw the asbestos fibers into
the air intake 42 of the filtration unit so that the asbestos
fibers will be filtered from the air prior to the air being
discharged from the contaminated space. In the system of the prior
art, the filtration unit could only be monitored by a worker
entering the enclosed space 10 through the clean room 20, shower
room 26 and equipment room 30. Further, if the filtration unit 36
malfunctions and shuts down, a worker must also enter the enclosed
space 10 to re-start the unit. To eliminate such an inconvenience
and problem, a remote control and monitoring means 44 is located
outwardly of the enclosed space 10 and is preferably positioned in
the clean room 20. The remote control and monitoring means 44 is
operatively connected to the filtration unit 36 by means of an
extension cord assembly 46.
Remote control on monitoring means 44 includes a housing 48 having
a front face 50 as seen in the drawings. Remote control and
monitoring means 44 typically includes an audible alarm 52, elapsed
time meter 54, filter pressure gauge 56, pressure port indicator
58, normal indicator light 60, clogged filter light 62, shut-down
indicator light 64, on-off switch 66, fuse holder 68, re-start
switch 70, and timer shut-down delay 72. It should be noted that
the remote control and monitoring means 44 could include additional
controls or could utilize fewer controls.
In the preferred embodiment, the remote contorl and monitoring
means 44 is positioned as illustrated in FIG. 1 so that the housing
48 is positioned in the clean room 20 so that access may be had
thereto without the necessity of entering the contaminated
space.
Thus, filtration unit 36 may be controlled and monitored without
the necessity of a worker having to enter the contaminated area 10
thereby eliminating the need for showering, changing clothes,
etc.
FIG. 4 is a schematic similar to FIG. 1 except that FIG. 4
illustrates a plurality of air filtration units 36' positioned in
the contaminated area 10. Each of the filtration units 36' has an
air intake aside AI and air discharge side AD. The air filtration
units 36' are identical to the air filtration unit 36 except that
the exhaust thereof simply exhausts to the interior of the enclosed
contaminated space rather than through the exhaust opening 40. Even
though the air filtration units 36' do not have their exhausts
operatively connected to the opening 40, it is important that the
air filtration units 36' can be controlled and monitored from
outside the contaminated area for the same reasons that it is
important to control and monitor the air filtration unit 36. Thus
it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its
stated objectives.
* * * * *